1. Technical Field
This device relates to heating devices that utilize friction coefficients to generate heat and more particularly to fluid heating devices for domestic hot water use.
2. Description of Prior Art
Prior art within this field has been directed to a variety of heat generating devices utilizing friction to heat fluid, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,312,322, 4,387,701, 4,554,906, 4,596,209 and 5,392,737.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,322 a disk friction heater is disclosed wherein a plurality of disks are driven by a motor. The disks are spaced within a housing and surrounded by oil which heats as the disks rotate.
A fluid friction furnace is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,701 having a plurality of rotating disks and stationery plates within an enclosure filled with heat transfer fluid. An external motor drives the disk producing heat between the disks and the plates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,906 discloses a tankless friction boiler system having rotary members slidably engaged in a housing. An electric motor drives the members producing heat within a fluid transfer environment.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,209 a wind turbine heat generating device is disclosed wherein a wind driven turbine drives a positive displacement pump with adjustable outlets causing fluid to be heated as it passes through the restricted outlets.
Finally, a friction heater is claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,737 in which a motor rotates a stator that generates heat transfer through a fluid filled housing in communication therewith.
An economical point of use hot water heating device that requires no outboard energy input utilizing the fluid flow dynamics to generate heat that is in turn transferred to the fluid flow. A pair of turbine assemblies are placed within a restricted fluid flow path rotating outboard friction heating elements generating heat with a thermal heat sink within the fluid""s path. The friction engagement elements are configured to maximize thermal generation and transfer to the fluid.